Images uploaded by users of a social networking system are analyzed to determine signatures of cameras used to capture the images. A camera signature comprises features extracted from images that characterize the camera used for capturing the image, for example, faulty pixel positions in the camera and metadata available in files storing the images. Associations between users and cameras are inferred based on actions relating users with the cameras, for example, users uploading images, users being tagged in images captured with a camera, and the like. Associations between users of the social networking system related via cameras are inferred. These associations are used beneficially for the social networking system, for example, for recommending potential connections to a user, recommending events and groups to users, identifying multiple user accounts created by the same user, detecting fraudulent accounts, and determining affinity between users.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A computer implemented method comprising: receiving images from a user of a social networking system; associating one or more received images with a signature of a camera used to capture the received images, wherein the signature of the camera comprises characteristic information about the camera obtained from images taken from the camera; identifying a user account associated with the camera based on an action related to the user account and at least one image captured using the camera; identifying an object representing an entity in the social networking system, the object associated with the camera based on an action related to the object and at least one image captured using the camera; and storing an association between the user account and the object, the association based on each of the user account and the object being related to at least one image captured using the camera.
2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining a measure of affinity between the user account and the object based on information describing actions associated with the one or more received images.
3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the information describing the actions comprises types of the actions associating the user account and the object with the camera signature.
4. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the information describing the actions comprises a frequency of actions associating the user account and the object with the camera signature.
5. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the information describing the actions comprises a number of images on which the actions are performed.
6. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the information describing the actions comprises a length of time interval during which the actions are performed.
7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising: sending a request to the user of the user account recommending the object as a potential connection between the user account and the object.
8. The computer implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising: verifying if a connection exists between the user account and the object.
9. The computer implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the request recommending the object as a potential connection is sent responsive to determining that the user account and the object are not already connected.
10. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the actions further comprise the user of the user account being tagged in a received image.
11. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the actions further comprise the user of the user account retrieving the image.
12. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the actions further comprise the user of the user account recommending an image to another user.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic information used to determine the signature of the camera comprises one or more of: faulty pixels in the images, lens scratches, lens dust, or camera artifacts.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein a faulty pixel has a fixed value for any image captured by the camera irrespective of the input received by the camera.
15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic information used to determine the signature of the camera comprises metadata attributes from files associated with the images.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the metadata attributes comprise one or more of: a serial number, a make of the camera, or a model of the camera.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the metadata attributes comprise one or more of: a time of capture of the image, a geographical location associated with a place where the image was captured, or a name of the image file.
18. A computer implemented method comprising: receiving a plurality of images from a user of a social networking system; analyzing the received images to identify a signature of a camera that captured the received images, wherein the signature of the camera comprises characteristic information about the camera obtained from images taken from the camera; identifying one or more user accounts associated with the camera based on an action related to the user accounts and at least one image captured using the camera; identifying one or more objects associated with the camera based on an action related to the objects and at least one image captured using the camera; associating the identified one or more user accounts with the identified one or more objects; and storing the associations between the identified one or more user accounts and the identified one or more objects.
19. The computer implemented method of claim 18 , further comprising: determining a measure of affinity between the identified one or more user accounts and the identified one or more objects based on information describing actions associated with the one or more received images.
20. A computer implemented method comprising: receiving a plurality of images from a user of a social networking system; associating one or more received images with a camera; identifying a user account associated with the camera based on a relationship between the user account and at least one image captured using the camera; identifying an object associated with the camera based on a relationship between the object and at least one image captured using the camera; and determining a measure of affinity between the user account and the object, the measure of affinity based at least in part on each of the user account and the object being related to at least one image captured using the camera.
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June 13, 2013
August 26, 2014
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